Simulation Serenity
by rinzlerkitty
Summary: post-Legacy. Yori rescues an unconscious Tron from the Sea of Simulation, only to later discover he has somehow become an ISO.
1. Chapter 1

A single beam of light illuminated the dark surface of the Sea of Simulation as a Recognizer soared slowly over it. The ragtag group of about a dozen programs were all bunched into the top of the white circuited vehicle, and oddly enough, each one was dead silent.

Their entire world had fallen apart only five millicycles ago, but it felt more like a thousand complete cycles. It was then that Flynn had reintegrated Clu, causing an enormous explosion that took out a good portion of the Grid. These programs, most of what was left of the security monitors, had volunteered to see if there was anything left of their beloved Portal. It had gone almost completely dark, the only reminder a faint shimmering glow.

Suddenly one of the programs cried out, pointing down to the sea.

"Look! Just there! There's someone down there!"

The Recognizer shuddered to a halt and the collection of programs all crowded around the edges of the vehicle to peer down to the sea. A body was silhouetted against the light, the darkened circuits flickering the dimmest white. There was a moment of shocked silence, then suddenly everyone was moving.

The Recognizer dipped lower, the platform sliding down until it nearly touched the sea. Three of the programs hovered at the edge and reached out to the unmoving stranger.

"Careful, careful."

Slowly, gently, the mysterious program was hauled onto the platform and laid out on the ground. The arrangement of believers gathered around in curiosity, several kneeling by the dripping program's side. Carefully, gently, one rolled him over onto his back and immediately leapt back in fear.

"It's _Rinzler!_"

"Throw him back in!"

"Someone derezz him before he kills us all!"

A tall, slim woman stepped quietly away from the driver's position of the Recognizer and pushed her way towards the still monitor on the ground. Several programs felt her surprisingly strong grip on their shoulders and immediately quieted, the rest silencing at her dark glare.

"He's not just Rinzler," she told them quietly, kneeling beside him. A slender finger reached out to brush his neck, deactivating the helmet. It slid back slowly, revealing an all-too-familiar face. The programs all gasped, backing up further.

"He's Tron," the woman finished softly, brushing a lock of dark brown hair out of his closed eyes. She gently traced the darkened 'T' on his chest and sighed, pulling him carefully into her arms. "So this is how we meet again, huh?" she murmured to the deactivated program, a sad smile quirking her lips.

There was no reply, of course. The other programs stood around awkwardly for a few moments, not wanting to interrupt.

"Yori?" one finally asked hesitantly.

Yori looked up after a moment, one hand gently stroking through Tron's hair. There was another pause before she nodded, falling back into her role as the leader of the group. "Someone else drive. Get us back on the main grid," she ordered. "We naturally absorb the energy spikes there. With any luck, it'll help Tron.

"But what about-"

"We can come back for the portal," she snapped. "But we don't know how long Tron's been like this and how long he has left before he derezzes. Do it _now._"

There was a moment's pause before everything came to life again, all the programs scrambling into action. The Recognizer shuddered a few times before starting up again and turning back the way it came. Yori's head fell to rest against Tron's, her curly blonde hair cascading down in front of her face and hiding her relieved tears.


	2. Chapter 2

((A/N: I will be moving from California to Georgia soon, so there won't be any updates for at least a week. Sorry. I will have plenty of time doing nothing during the drive, however, so with any luck I'll have stuff ready to roll when I finally get some internet back))

Everything came into focus one at a time, little by little. The first thing was that he was warm. He was very, very warm. Not uncomfortably so, but warmer than he could remember being in a long time. There was something beneath him, holding his head up, and slowly he realized his head was in someone's lap. There were light tickles across his face that he eventually came to identify as hair.

The next thing he focused on was the origin of the warmth that was flooding him. It started right there, at his lips, which were currently melded into another pair of soft, familiar lips. Oh. Someone was kissing him.

And it felt _good._ Better than anything he'd felt in over a thousand cycles. On instinct, without his conscious consent, his lips moved in silent aquiescence and he kissed back. The warmth between them intensified and he shivered slightly. He wasn't sure who or what or where he was, nor did he know whose lips were pressed against his, but this, this felt _amazing._ Something about it stirred in his memory.

There was a soft gasp, and the warmth vanished, the kiss ending abruptly. He made a soft sound of discontent, his eyes flickering open.

A face swam confusingly before him and he blinked a few times before focusing in. A woman, a beautiful one, with wavy blonde hair and dark eyes, was gazing down at him with a mixture of shock and undisguised joy. He knew her, he thought vaguely. There was a moment of silence, before finally she spoke.

"Tron," she whispered, gloved fingers stroking his cheek lightly.

That name was familiar. Like it belonged. It fit.

It was _his _name, he remembered. Or it had been, a long time ago. He could hardly remember the last time someone had called him that. And just as that revelation came to him, her name sprang to his lips.

"Yori," he murmured, placing his hand over hers and entwining their fingers. _User,_ he felt awful. He just wanted to lie here in her lap and shut down forever.

A smile curved the other program's lips upwards and she nodded. "I was so worried," she said quietly, wiping away a tear with her free hand. "You haven't stirred for millicycles, not since we pulled you out of the Sea." She hesitated for a moment. "What happened, Tron? I tried to keep tabs on you, but it was difficult."

Tron frowned, his eyes closing again briefly as he shook his head. "Not now," he replied wearily. "I can barely keep up with what is going on right now."

Yori was immediately apologetic, nodding and stroking back Tron's dark hair. His eyes closed at the sensation and she continued on in a soft voice. "Of course, you just rest," she told him protectively. "You're safe here."


	3. Chapter 3

It took Tron a while to convince Yori that he was alright and to get her to leave him alone long enough to wash up. He found it a little ironic that she and her band of believers had been hiding out in the ruins of Aridja City this whole time. No one had even considered that the fugitives would take shelter at the place where their freedom died.

The place was full of memories, nightmares. Taking down Aridja had been Tron's first assignment after his reprogramming, and the recollection made him shudder with surpressed horror. He hadn't felt much that day, of course, as all emotions had been squashed beneath Clu's rectification, but now, cycles later, he could still hear the screams of the dying ISOs. None of them had ever suspected things would make such a drastic turn for the worse.

He slipped away from the city quietly to a energy pool that he knew wasn't far from here. Before everything had changed, he hadn't exactly frequented Aridja, but it had been his job to know every corner of the Grid as familiarly as possible. His boots made almost no sound on the ground as he melted into the shadows. It was a practice that he'd become almost too good at during his time as Rinzler, and the blue circuitry rather than the red made it even easier to blend in with his surroundings.

Tron allowed himself a soft sigh as he crouched beside the pool. He cupped the energy in his palms and drank slowly, his circuits pulsing as he took it in. How long had it been since he'd drank from a pure source? He'd never had time for it when he was working with Flynn, and certainly not when he'd been Rinzler.

The recollection of a dirty trio sprawled out by an energy pool came to mind, and his lips twitched in what was almost a smile. Back then, life had been so simple. Things were very straightforward. There were no choices to be made, only a road ahead to follow. In fact, it had stayed like that for most of his existence. The path had twisted and turned at times, but ultimately there was only one way to go.

Things seemed different now, he thought to himself. He lowered himself inch by inch into the liquid energy and sighed softly, his tight-fitting suit derezzing. Now it felt like he was standing at a crossroads, with a myriad of different paths he could take. There were so many different ways he could react to this situation, different personas he could slip into and attitudes he could take. It was a new sensation, one that confused him, yet at the same time he seemed at peace. At peace, or maybe he was just indifferent.

Now was time to address the question that had been bothering him since he woke. How had he survived? He remembered that sudden moment of clarity, the realization of what he was doing. After a thousand cycles of battling Clu's oppressive programming, he finally broke free from it and emerged as Tron. He had taken that moment, not to reflect on all the bad choices he'd been forced to make, but instead to assist Flynn. _I fight for the Users._

He'd meant to take Clu out, but of course, the program was made of tougher stuff than that. Tron recalled the fall, down, down to the Sea of Simulation. Clu had stolen his extra baton and left him to die.

But for some reason, he didn't. The impact with the sea hadn't killed him, and most of his memory after that point was shot. There were a few flashes that came to him with some effort. Mostly just the sensation of floating and a blinding blue light, and then the next thing he knew, he woke as Tron, and Yori, _Yori_, was there with him. He hadn't realized how much he had missed her until then.

He ducked his head beneath the energy briefly and resurfaced, flipping back his soggy dark hair and feeling it plaster against his skin. A small smile crossed his face as a fresh memory came to mind, one of Flynn. He'd just managed to perfect the weather, and, quite literally, been skipping through the rain. Of course, it had turned to tackling each other into the puddles and wrestling. They had been so thrilled with the world they were building together. The two had had more fun together then than he could ever remember having any other time.

Drowning in nostalgia, Tron forced himself to focus and climbed out of the pool. He paid little attention as the black suit rerezzed, instead sitting down and leaning back on his hands, lost in his thoughts.

After a moment, he realized something wasn't quite right. His clothes didn't fit the same way they used to, like the way when Flynn had brought him from the original ENCOM system to this one. A spot on his left arm tingled uncomfortably and he rubbed it absently before getting to his feet and looking himself over.

His clothes _had _changed, oddly enough. The top half wasn't at all the way it had been before, this one sleeveless and with a low, V-shaped neckline. His trademark T sysmbol had been enlarged and was splashed flamboyantly across his chest, now framed by circuits in the square-ish pattern that was reminiscent of the ENCOM system. His gaze traveled down his arms, taking in the unfamilar appearance of bare, muscled skin there.

Then suddenly, he froze.

With trembling, ungloved fingers, he gingerly traced the mark that had appeared on his upper left arm.

_ISO._


	4. Chapter 4

((A/N: Just a quick note, you guys get a longer chapter than usual with this one. I was going to split it into two, but then it felt too short, and I had nothing better to do because my internet's been cut for a week, and I didn't really want to upload two mini-me chapters at once. So instead you get one longer chapter. hurray! also, just to clear things up, yes, Yori is in charge here. more on that in later chapters.))

Yori sifted through the crowd of programs, searching for the familiar circuitry. It was amazing how fast this place had grown. Much of the Grid had been destroyed in the explosion that had turned their lives upside down, and soon after that people had flocked to Aridja City searching for a place to call home. Times now were almost harder than they had been under Clu's tyranny. At least back then programs had known what to expect and where they belonged. Now, though, people weren't sure what to do or where to go. Most of them had come to Aridja searching for a sense of purpose.

Either way, the home of the ISOs was being rebuilt. It wouldn't be as beautiful or grand as it had been back in its hayday, but it was what these programs needed. After a thousand cycles of neglect, the magnificent culture of the ISOs was being remembered. Yori smiled faintly. Just the way Flynn would have wanted it.

Right now, however, she was trying to find Tron. He'd insisted on her giving him some time on his own, which she'd reluctantly agreed to, but it had been too long, and she was starting to get anxious. The facts were that this Tron had gone through some serious trauma, and he simply wasn't the strong, confident program she remembered. He refused to talk about anything regarding Rinzler or even how he had come to find the real Tron, and that almost made her worry more.

"Have you seen Tron?" she asked a pair of programs.

They shook their heads, and one of them rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Yori, User knows he's been through hell. If he wants to be alone for a while, then let him."

Yori folded her arms across her chest. "That's exactly why I can't let him be alone for too long, Byte. He thinks too much, and whatever he went through was probably a major strain on his systems. It's not good for him to be on his own. What if his systems freeze up or glitch?"

"You worry too much," Meg commented, watching Yori with a sort of detached interest. "Especially about him. He was one of the enemy, remember?"

"And if _you_ remember, he was one of _us _before you were even programmed!" Yori snapped. "If it weren't for him and his loyalty to a free system and the Users, this one would never have existed! _You_ would never have existed!"

Her circuits flashed in irritation and she glared at the now subdued pair. "Now. _Have you seen him?_"

Byte muttered something under his breath.

"What was that?"

Meg pointed out of the city, her hand shaking slightly. "We thought we saw him going out of the city."

"Hard to tell, though," Byte put in, not meeting Yori's eyes. "He sort of disappears into the shadows."

The blonde program nodded, pushing a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes. "_Thank_ you," she said a little huffily, stalking off in the indicated direction.

Even after a thousand cycles, Meg and Byte still managed to display their extraordinary qualities of irritating every other program they met. They had been excellent at performing their functions back in the day, the best, but Yori supposed that spending cycle after cycle of packing away memory in its proper place could get tiresome. Or perhaps they had just been sultry programs from the beginning.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a shout that made her systems stall.

"ISO! He's an ISO!"

Impossible...all the ISOs were dead. There had been rumors of one that had lived under Flynn's care, but she'd never been found, and User knew where she would be now if she had even existed.

Yori jogged onwards with an easy grace, heading towards a steadily growing knot of programs just outside the city boundaries. They were all yelling and shouting in excitement, a few bouncing up and down, the one prevailing sound above it all was the constant repetition of "ISO, ISO, ISO".

"All right, that's enough!" Yori shouted, pushing her way past the globule of excited programs. "Calm down, Yori coming through, move please."

The crowd parted at her demands, the people backing away in respect for their leader. She caught a few eyes and nodded to them, intent on her destination at the center of all this chaos. There had to be a mistake. The ISOs were gone, weren't they? And the system was definitely not perfected as it had been when they had first manifested. Someone was just confused.

Yori was relieved to find Tron at the center of all the mess. "Tron, there you are. Obviously someone's made a mista-"

She froze suddenly, taking in his irregular attire. Tron had never worn his arms bare before. He smiled at her in a strange, un-Tron-like way, and turned slightly, showing off the glowing mark that now adorned his arm.

She crossed the distance between them in one step as the crowd fell silent, watching her with some apprehension. Yori inhaled sharply and traced the mark lightly with a finger before looking up at him.

"I-I don't-" she stuttered, at a loss for words.

The newly made ISO nodded. "Nor do I," he replied quietly.

For a long moment the two just gazed at each other, communicating all the emotions that they couldn't put into words.

"You'll stay?" Yori asked softly, anxiety potent in her eyes.

Tron nodded silently, another odd smile crossing his lips. "Always," he replied, and kissed her.


	5. Chapter 5

((A/N: okay I'll be honest, I was considering ending this piece right at that last chapter. I'm going to tentatively add this one, and you guys let me know if I should keep going or if it would be better to take this one off and just end it here. btw sorry for no warning, i just got to the end of that one and realized that it would make an awesome ending and then just sort of stared at a blank word doc wondering what to do next for about a week. so, my dear readers, please review and let me know what you're thinking.))

The presence of an ISO in their midst completely reinvigorated the weary programs. Tron himself seemed energized, and he set to work at rebuilding their home with a vigor that Yori couldn't help but admire. He was different now, but not in a bad way. If anything, he was better than he had been before. Yori was still adjusting to his new appearance, but she had to admit that this Tron was much more likeable than the one they had found half-drowned in the Sea. He was a breath of fresh air for everyone, a constantly cheery program that kept everyone's spirits up and wasn't afraid of working hard. He had a new light about him, a new sense of purpose and confidence that made him impossible to resist.

And Yori loved him even more for it.

They spent all of their time together now, and as a pair they guided and directed the ever-growing population of Aridja dwelling programs. They had both come to realize that the authority was better wielded with someone else to help support it, and that brought them even closer together. They were an inspiration to all programs, the hard-working couple that seemed to be on the same wavelength and did everything they could to help others.

There were smiles on people's faces now, grief replaced with hope for what was yet to come. They could do this. This was their home, and if anyone knew how to take care of it, it was them. The earlier destruction had not been an end at all, but merely another beginning.

Back in cycles long past, Yori and her small band of rebellious programs used to gather after every milicycle and discuss what had been done and what still yet needed to be done. As time wore on, the practice disbanded. The loss of friends and hope crushed their spirits until they stopped fighting and simply waited for the end. On Tron's insistence, however, this practice had been reinstated, and every three milicycles, all of the programs in Aridja would gather, sit in a circle, and talk about what they had accomplished. Newer programs would be introduced here, and plans for new structures, homes, parks, whatever they wanted, would be suggested and voted on at these councils. It wasn't long until the people began to feel less like a group of lost orphans, and more like a family, with Tron and Yori at the head.

During one such council, they were all gathered together discussing housing. With every passing milicycle, their numbers were increasing, and there simply weren't enough apartments for everyone.

"Byte and I don't really need a place," Meg was saying. "We don't mind giving up our apartment for someone else who needs it more. We can just shut down outside, like Tron and Yori do."

Tron smiled quietly. "That's very generous of you, Meg. I'm sure there are others who will appreciate that sacrifice." He cleared his throat and grinned at Yori before continuing.

"The park is nearing completion, is that correct?"

A program four seats away from Tron stood and nodded. "Just about finished," he said. "But it's not entirely necessary, is it? We could remove people from park duty and work instead on the apartments until there's enough," he suggested.

The ISO smiled again. "I was just about to suggest that myself. Is there anyone who would like to say something about that, or are we all in agreement?"

The gathered programs murmured their assent and nodded.

"On to the next subject, then."

He was interrupted by a brilliant flash of light in the distance, and the crowd hushed. Tron dismissed it initially as lightning, but it didn't seem to fade like he expected. Frowning slightly, he turned in the direction of the brightness that had nearly illuminated the dark sky.

A moment later, a ragged cheer rose up.

The Portal had opened.


End file.
